In California’s first church, in the Roman Catholic mission that gave San Diego its name, thousands of parishioners celebrated Christmas on Wednesday.

Beginning at 7 a.m. and continuing until noon, priests held Mass at Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá. The church also serves as a museum, and a point of education for fourth-grade students on early California history.

Numerous plaques and statues proclaim the mission’s history, but none so dramatically as the church’s facade, made of brilliantly whitewashed brick flanked with a bell tower. One of its five bells, dated 1802, bears a crown symbolizing the sovereignty of the king of Spain.

Founded in 1769 by Franciscan priests led by Father Junípero Serra, Mission San Diego was the first of 21 missions established in California to Christianize the native Indians. The secular goal was to ensure Spain’s claim to the land against encroaching Russian explorers.

“This truly is a very active parish,” said Msgr. Richard Duncanson, pastor in charge of the mission. “We had six Masses yesterday and we’ll have seven today. On a typical week we’ll have close to 3,000 people coming for services, and with Christmas we expect maybe 5,000 or 6,000 people.”

For Duncanson, this Christmas marked his eighth leading Mission San Diego. But his roots go back much further.

“I’ve been connected here at the parish since 1980,” Duncanson said in between greeting worshippers leaving after the 7 a.m. Mass. “When I was on seminary staff and director of our deacon program for our diocese, I celebrated the 5:30 Mass here every Sunday all through the 1980s.”

Parishioners such as Tony and Sandy Kalica say they value Duncanson, staff, and the fellowship of other worshippers.

The Kalicas are self-described “snowbirds” from Manchester, N.H., who live in San Diego from November until April. They stay in a condo across the street from the mission, and have been attending Mass here for about seven years.

“We were welcomed with open arms into this church,” Sandy Kalica said.

Tony Kalica said he also appreciates the church’s historical role.

“It’s the first church in California,” he said. “And the pastor and associate pastor are absolutely outstanding.”

John Shean said he first began attending Mission San Diego in 1973, moved away, and is now back.

A retired marketing executive for the San Diego Chargers and the Arizona Cardinals, Shean said the “the presence of God as I understand him” is the most important reason to attend.

“We’ve also been blessed with excellent pastors,” Shean said.

And then there’s the history.

“This is San Diego, literally,” Shean said. “It’s 240-some years old. This is what we’re all about. This is where it all started. There’s a presence, there’s something about this place. It’s hard to describe. You look at the walls, you look at the stations (of the Cross), you look at the altar, you look at the history.”

Statue of Fray Junípero Serra, the Spanish Franciscan missionary who founded Mission San Diego, the first church in California. Located in mission courtyard.Bradley J. Fikes

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Statue of Fray Junípero Serra, the Spanish Franciscan missionary who founded Mission San Diego, the first church in California. Located in mission courtyard.

However, that history carries a burden. The mission compound, some of its structures dating back to Serra’s time, perpetually needs upkeep. The church itself is the fifth located on the site.

Originally located on Presidio Hill near Old Town, the mission moved to its present location just east of Qualcomm Stadium in 1774. Confiscated by the Mexican government in 1834, it was occupied by the U.S. Army in 1853. President Abraham Lincoln restored it to the Catholic Church in 1862. Then in ruins, the mission was gradually restored. It once again became an active church in 1941.

In 1976, Pope Paul VI designated the mission as a minor basilica, honoring its historic role.

The mission is now finishing an earthquake retrofitting project in its religious education building, Duncanson said. And as with most projects of this type, it came with a complication.

“The big discovery was this cobble pavement at the foot of the staircase,” he said. “We’ve decided to highlight that as an architectural/archaeological feature, but it required extra time to design a plexiglass panel so you can see the original pavement from the 1890s.”

Visitors pay for the never-ending renovation through their purchases from the mission’s gift shop. But while Duncanson is happy to see them, he said it takes some finesse to prevent the mission’s secular side from interfering with its religious purpose.

“It’s difficult when we have tourists coming on a Saturday, and they don’t understand that Saturdays are wedding days, so they don’t have free access to the church during the weddings,” he said. “We try to avoid funerals at times when we schedule school groups. There is a balancing act going on. It wouldn’t be good to have 30 fourth-graders walk into the middle of your funeral.”